Supporting universities and moving our economy forward

In Arizona, and in Phoenix especially, one of our strongest community assets is our university system. With three dynamic public universities, Arizona is a destination for talent-development and business success.

From research exploring the depths of space to revolutionizing the way students learn, our state universities are leading the way for our state and our economy.

Our university system plays a critical role in our state’s economy and our future growth.

The Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) proudly supports all three state universities and actively supports our higher education system so that it produces a well-educated, highly-skilled workforce that meets the demands of a rapidly-changing economy.

We recognize that universities are important drivers of economic development. These institutions support business in vital areas of growth including the retention and expansion of existing businesses and the support of new companies in developing industries of opportunity.

GPCC advocated for legislation that streamlined the process by which research discoveries at our public universities move into the public arena where they can be used to save lives, enhance technology and grow our economy. This legislation updated an age-old approval process in a way that supports the creation of new jobs across our state.

Most recently, GPCC supported additional capital funding to support university expansion and infrastructure investment. With our support, each of our three state universities received an investment to support their growth.

As we continue to grow and diversify our economy and focus on developing top-notch talent, our universities will be critical to bringing that vision to life.

Next week, GPCC is hosting Valley Voices presents “Education and Innovate, a conversation with Arizona’s University Presidents.” Dr. Rita Cheng of NAU, Dr. Michael Crow of ASU and Dr. Robert Robbins of U of A, will join us on stage and discuss how each university is preparing students to enter the workforce, and innovating to move the state economy forward.

I hope that you will join us at this one-of-a-kind event to hear from our education leaders, and learn how business and education can work together to build the economy we want.